UK: Teenager attacked in Park Street for being gay

"It's hard to understand how and why someone would do this"

12/5/2017- A teenager was attacked in Park Street in an early hours attack - because he is gay. The victim was walking near to Tesco on College Green shortly before 4am in the early hours of Sunday, May 7. He was verbally abused by two men before one of them punched him in the face. The teenager was treated at Bristol Royal Infirmary for facial injuries. Police are now investigating the incident which they are describing as a 'homophobic hate crime'. A photo was tweeted after the attack that shows the victim's injuries. A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "We're treating this as a hate crime because of the words used by the offenders before the attack was carried out. Investigating officer PC Leanne Weeks added that police are reviewing CCTV footage in a bid to identify the attackers. She said: "This was an extremely unpleasant and unprovoked assault on a man who was targeted because of his sexuality.